University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Health Education Center
Galveston, Texas
Award of Merit
Owner: University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston
Lead Design Firm: EYP
General Contractor: Vaughn Construction
Civil Engineer: Walter P Moore
Structural Engineer: Ensight
MEP Engineer: E&C Engineers & Consultants
The $70.5-million, 161,000-sq-ft Health Education Center consolidates education space for the university’s schools of medicine, nursing, health professions and graduate biomedical sciences at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. The facility is rated for 135 mph sustainable winds. To anchor the building against storms, the foundation consists of more than 400 auger cast piles, each 100 to 150 ft deep. During the project, the team experienced 20 rain events, a tropical storm and Hurricane Harvey. The owner was only able to add two weeks to the schedule, so the team moved the exterior improvements portion of the project to the end of the schedule.
